Temporal declines in fecundity: A study of southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) and implications for potential reproductive output.

Abstract

Individuals must reproduce to survive and thrive from generation to generation. In fish, the fecundity of individuals and estimates of total reproductive output are critical for evaluating reproductive success and understanding population dynamics. Estimating fecundity is an onerous task; therefore, many populations lack contemporary estimates of fecundity and size-fecundity relationships. However, reproductive dynamics are not static in time; therefore, it is important to develop contemporary fecundity estimates to better inform conservation and management action. To highlight the importance of contemporary fecundity estimates, we examined the fecundity of southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) spring and fall spawning Atlantic herring in 2022, developed size-fecundity models, and compared these to historical fecundity estimates and models. Our results suggest that the average fecundity of sGSL spring and fall herring has undergone a substantial temporal decline of approximately 47% and 58%, respectively, since the 1970s and 1980s. The size-fecundity relationships for fall spawning herring have shifted, with fish of a given size exhibiting lower fecundity in 2022 compared to the 1970s. Alternatively, the size-fecundity relationships for spring spawning herring have remained relatively static. Furthermore, simulations highlighted a substantial reduction in potential reproductive output in 2022 compared to 1970 of approximately 32% and 68% for spring and fall spawners, respectively, based on a fixed number of mature females, which may have negative implications for stock rebuilding. Overall, our study provides support for periodic estimates of fecundity in fish populations to better understand temporal changes in reproductive and population dynamics.